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After the reconstruction of a part of the old Kalniečiai shopping center, a six-storey administrative building will be erected, the first floor of which expanded with a rooftop parking lot will be used for commerce and services. The idea presented to the Kaunas Council of Architecture and Urbanism Experts received both approval and comments.
Difficult to adapt
Savanoriu PR. and P.Lukšio st. The mighty building that collapsed at the intersection, more precisely what was left of it, has been asking for repairs and modifications for a long time. For a long time, most of it has been outdated.
The former Kalniečiai shopping center consists of two parts in total. The changes come to the first, which passed into the hands of one of the owners: Western Baltic Corporation.
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
The second, located further from P.Lukšio str. and built later, it will still languish. “There are ten owners, including the municipality,” said architect Lukas Tarnauskas when presenting the project proposals. The authors of the project are he and Rytis Račiūnas, representing the Nebrau company.
Changes should start at 9 thousand. plot of square meters. The area of the building, which will rise to six floors, should reach about 7 thousand. kv. meter. Provides food, retail and service, catering, and administrative facilities.
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
Most of the building is on one level with equipped parking spaces on the roof.
“It is difficult to adapt to modern needs,” said L. Tarnauskas, commenting on the postmodern center spaces designed by Eugenijus Miliūnas, dating from 1988.
It is difficult to adapt to modern needs.
The project is presented as a reconstruction, renovation. There have been many changes and many have the impression that the new building will have very little in common with the old one. “Can it be called reconstruction in this case?” The experts shrugged, but spared the project no good words.
Architectural event
“The opening of this shopping center was an architectural event. But it happened that the event died. The rabbit, the rabbit and only remained in memory, “said Vilius Adomavičius.
Architect Loreta Janušaitienė added that the old building was exceptional in its best moments, but complicated: “Functionally inoperable. The building committed suicide. “
According to V. Adomavičius, the implementation of the new project will not become an event like the opening of the predecessor, but the latter was called aesthetic, logical, orderly.
The discovery of the authors of the Kalniečiai shopping center was a luminous gallery. “But yours doesn’t have a good start or a good ending,” said KAUET expert architect Gintaras Prikockis. The authors of the new building also plan to install the gallery. The only entrance would not be from P.Lukšio St., but from Savanorių Ave., and there would be turns that would allow pedestrians to pass through the building and thus reach the courtyards of residential houses faster.
Parking landscape
The architect Gražina Bernotienė suggested that the parking be moved from the roof to the underground, and for the parking spaces in front of the building on Savanorių Ave., in her opinion, it is not a place either. “The Kaunas district municipality building is set back from the street, because when it was built, there was a house. I suggest bringing the building closer to Savanorių Ave. ”- the architect taught.
He also suggested thinking about residents of nearby apartment buildings. Leaving parking on the roof will open up the view of parked cars through the windows, which is definitely not on the settler’s wish list and criteria.
By the way, it turns out that the underground parking was planned during the design of the Kalniečiai shopping center, but this was not implemented.
The building works favorably. Vertical and horizontal coherence. But when you enter this intersection, the anxiety increases. How will you need to get in and out?
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
“Savanorių Avenue is the scariest street,” Asta Kiaunienė did not hide his opinion, considering the prevailing urban chaos. Coinciding with a colleague that the building should be closer to the street so that passersby and pedestrians were greeted by shop windows rather than parking spaces, he tried to appeal to the conscience of the project’s authors.
“Aesthetics, there are no complaints about the expression, but you have to bring it closer. It’s the customer’s math, but we and the city lose a lot. The situation can still be fixed, ”said the expert. “It is aesthetically impeccable to be elsewhere,” suggested other speakers.
The architect Rimgaudas Miliukštis joked that the Kalniečiai shopping center is not Trakai Castle, it must be protected and restored, which has been done. I just asked not to forget that Savanorių Avenue is not a highway, but an axis that connects with the city center, that the predominant trend is to narrow the streets, bring the buildings closer together.
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
Congestion: scheduled?
Several experts pointed out the impact the project would have on the overall view of the intersection and raised the issue of customer traffic and pedestrian flows. “It just came to our attention then. Vertical and horizontal coherence. But when you enter this intersection, the anxiety increases. How will you have to get in and out?” – L. Janušaitienė, member of KAUET, spoke about possible drawbacks.
Until now, in reality and in documents, there is only one entry to the plot that needs to be managed: from P.Lukšio str. The entrance to be installed from Savanorių Ave., due to legal issues, may remain so only in project proposals.
Although KAUET members praised the architecture of the building, project clients tended to get as little publicity as possible after hearing feedback. Presenters were shown what the building would look like, the presentation was public, but when asked to submit visualizations so that we could give readers a sharper view, the response was shocking.
“Sorry, but I can’t share the information at the customer’s request,” I’m sorry, but I can’t share the information at the customer’s request, “commented L. Tarnauskas.
Photo by Vilmantas Raupelis
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